Flywheel propelled toy vehicle



Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLYWHEEL PROPELLED TOYVEHICLE Knut Hein, Sarpsborg, Norway Application January 20, 1951,Serial No. 207,003

This invention relates to toy vehicles of the type in which a flywheelwith a hub or with a smaller wheel rests upon the circumference of oneor two of the running wheels of the vehicle, said wheels being driven byfriction when the flywheel is set in rotation.

Hitherto, in toys of this type, it has been proposed to maintainflywheel trunnions in engagement with a disc with a comparatively high.force. The applied rotation of the flywheel was thereby considerablyreduced, so that the time during which it could rotate, due to acquiredkinetic energy, was correspondingly reduced. In another proposal thefiywheel trunnions were subjected to an additional pressure, whichcorresponded to a substantial proportion of the vehicle weight andincreased the friction upon the flywheel trunnions.

The object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate thedisadvantages specified above.

According to the present invention I provide a toy vehicle of the typereferred to in which at least one trunnion of the flywheel is movableupwardly and downwardly in bearings which limit the upward movement, andat least one of the running wheels is also movable upwardly anddownwardly, but tending to move downwardly relative to the flywheel bydownwardly-directed spring action whereby, when downward pressure isapplied upon the vehicle body, the running wheel is adapted to risetogether with the flywheel and be stopped in this motion by the saidlimitation of the flywheel trunnion or trunnions, whereupon the vehicleis moved rapidly backwards or forwards upon the running wheels, theflywheel is rotated and acquires kinetic energy, the vehicle body is setfree, and the kinetic energy of the flywheel drives the vehicle.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example,with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the rear portion of a toyvehicle; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l andshowing the embodiment of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section onthe line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 illustrates an alternate embodiment of theinvention.

Referring to the drawing, horizontal rearwardly-directed springs orflexibly mounted fingers 4 are fixed to the vehicle casing or body l.The rear ends thereof yield upwardly and downwardly and form bearings 8for the trunnions of the rear running traction wheels I and 2 of thevehicle, upon the circumference of which wheels 2 Claims. (Cl. 46209)the shaft 3 rests with the weight of a flywheel 5, in addition to itsown weight and that of trunnions 9. The shaft trunnions 9 project intoslots or bearings 6 in the side walls of the vehicle casing. Thebearings are elongated in a vertical direction and open downwards, butare limited upwards. Traction wheels are supported by body 1' at theforward end thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings illustrate two different embodiments ofthe invention. The running wheels are denoted I and 2. In the embodimentof Fig. 3 the outer trunnions of the running wheels are journalled onthe inside in the vehicle body and the inner trunnions are journalled inthe bearings 8 of the springs 4. In the embodiment of Fig. 4 thetrunnions on both sides of the running wheels are journalled in thebearings 8 of the springs 4. The springs 4 permit suflicient freedom ofaction for the running wheels that they can be moved upwardly anddownwardly either in substantially vertical direction as shown in theembodiment in accordance with Fig. 4, or tilted about a horizontal axisas shown in Fig. 3.

When no force is applied to the vehicle, the running wheels I and 2occupy their lower position, shown in Fig. 1 by a circle drawn with fulllines. The flywheel shaft 3 then rests with its weight and that of theflywheel 5 upon the topmost part of the circumference of the runningwheels, and the trunnions 9 of the shaft 3 do not project up into theupper limitations of the bearing openings 6 since the springs or fingersii in this situation raise the body with respect to said trunnions.

When the vehicle is to be put in motion, the vehicle casing 1 is presseddown, whereby the end portions of the springs 4 with the bearings 8 arebent, and the running wheels move the shaft 3 (or its trunnions 9) intothe upper limitations of the bearings 6 and against the tops thereof(dotted lines in Fig. 1). The vehicle is then moved rapidly backwards orforwards on its running surface, whereby flywheel 5 is set in rapidrotation. The vehicle is then freed, whereby the springs 4 lift thevehicle casing l upwards back to the posiiton shown in full lines inFig. 1, so that the shafts 3 (or its trunnions 5!) no longer projectsinto the upper limitations of the opening of the bearings 5 and nolonger contacts their tops.

The flywheel 5 is therefore subjected to no bearing friction worthmentioning during running operation, and a correspondingly smallproportion of its kinetic energy is consumed in overcoming this minoramount of friction, the greater proportion being utilized in rotatingthe running wheels I or 2 and consequently in driving the vehicle.

What I claim is:

1. A toy vehicle of the flywheel propelled type comprising a vehiclebody, a traction wheel supported by said body at the forward endthereof, a plurality of resiliently mounted fingers secured to said bodyand extending rearward longitudinally of said body, first and secondaxles rotatably supported by different said fingers, a traction wheelsupported by each of said first and second axles, said fingers yieldingin a direction substantially normal to their longitudinal axis uponindependent vertical movement of said traction wheels supported by saidfirst and second axles, a third axle rotatably resting on the outerperiphery of said traction wheels supported by said first and secondaxles, means comprising slots provided in said body and forming journalsfor said third axle, said slots being elongated in a vertical directionto provide for vertical movement of said third axle, said third axlenormally journalling in the lower portion of said slots and a flywheelmounted on said third axle and extending into the space between thetraction wheels on said first and second axles causing said third axleto bear against the top of the traction wheels mounted on said first andsecond axles, said fingers supporting said traction wheels mounted onsaid first and second axles being yieldable in response to downwardpressure on said body to cause said third axle to bear against the topof said slots during energy storing actuation of said flywheel andthereafter to return it to normal position for running operation.

2. A toy vehicle of the flywheel propelled type comprising a vehiclebody, a traction wheel supported by said body at the forward endthereof,

a plurality of resiliently mounted fingers secured to said body andextending rearward longitudinally of said body, first and second axlesaxially mounted and each rotatably supported at one end by said body andat the other end by a difierent finger, a traction wheel supported byeach of said first and second axles, said fingers yielding in adirection substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said bodyupon independent vertical movement of said traction wheels supported bysaid first and second axles, a third axle rotatably resting on the outerperiphery of said traction wheels supported by said first and secondaxles, means comprising slots provided in said body and forming journalsfor said third axle, said slots being elongated in a vertical directionto provide for vertical movement of said third axle, said third axlenormally journalling in the lower portion of said slots and aflywheelmounted on said third axle and extending into the space between saidtraction wheels on said first and second axles causing said third axleto bear against the top of the traction wheels mounted on said first andsecond axles, said fingers supporting said traction wheels mounted onsaid first and second axles being yieldable in response to downwardpressure on said body to cause said third axle to bear against the top01 said slots during energy storing actuation of said flywheel andthereafter to return it to normal position for running operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 302,650 Cole July 29, 1884 676,420 Clark June 18, 1901 725,126Parker Apr. 14, 1903 1,578,022 Florkey Mar. 23, 1926

